December 30, 2019
Pictured: Renowned   author-illustrator and Conservancy Advisory Council member David Macaulay, Conservancy staff, and SS  United States  supporters at our June 2019 member appreciation event.

Photo courtesy of Kyle Ober.
As 2019 draws to a close, we would like to once again express our gratitude for your continued and enduring support of our mission to save the SS United States . Thanks to your generosity, the Big U remains afloat and ready for her long-deserved second act.

2019 has been a truly exciting year! As you know, last December, the Conservancy entered into an agreement with RXR Realty, a prominent commercial real estate development firm, to explore the potential for the SS  United States ’ renewal as a dynamic, mixed-use waterfront destination and shipboard museum. Throughout 2019, we’ve been working closely with RXR as they assess the technical and financial requirements of the ship’s revitalization.

We've also made some amazing progress in growing our permanent curatorial collection, with the goal of creating a future shipboard museum. Among other items, we were thrilled to acquire the original Steinway baby grand piano from the ship’s Grand Ballroom, which will soon be on public display for the first time. (More details to follow shortly...) 

Additionally, our collection now includes:

  • A massive stationary bike odometer, donated by Arlan Ettinger, founder of Guernsey's Auction House.
  • The uniform of the ship's relieving master, Captain John Tucker, donated by his daughter, Kim Sacco.
  • Several fascinating artifacts from the private collection of Conservancy Board member, Mark Perry, including two deck chairs and the coffee table from the Captain's reception room.

The Conservancy was honored to loan numerous items from our permanent collection to a current exhibition at the Norman Rockwell Museum, Finding Home: Four Artists' Journeys , which showcases the work of four artists who immigrated to the United States at various stages in their lives. The most exciting of these items is an 11-foot-long, vintage model of the Big U, donated to the Conservancy by the children of Douglas F. Bushnell.

One of the four artists featured in Finding Home is author-illustrator David Macaulay, who traveled aboard the SS  United States as a boy — departing his native England for his new home in America. Macaulay chronicles his specia relationship to the vessel in his latest book, Crossing on Time .

We were fortunate enough to partner with David Macaulay for multiple events throughout 2019. The highlight of these was our June 8 member appreciation event , which included a special tour of the Big U guided by David himself.

In 2020, we look forward to more events, including our maritime history and stewardship cruise in October .

As we advance our efforts to save America’s Flagship, please give generously by visiting www.ssusc.org/donate and clicking the red Donate Now button.

Your support of our crucial year-end appeal and membership drive will help us sustain the ship’s basic upkeep, restore original artifacts for public display, refresh our website and update our documentary film, and take our shipboard museum plans to the next level. None of our ambitious and exciting plans for the SS United States would be possible without your support.

Help Us Save America's Flagship!
"[The SS United States ] was built at a time when 'made in America’ really meant something, and that is a legacy that cannot be lost."   — H.F. “Gerry” Lenfest (1930-2018)